Combined bottle carrier and rack



M. S. ANDERSON COMBINED BOTTLE CARRIER AND RACK May 29, 1951 Filed 00k.5, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. MIN/5R s An/omszw y 29, 1951 M. s.ANDERSON 2,555,102

" COMBINED BOTTLE CARRIER AND RACK Filed Oct. 5, 194a 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. MINER 5. Ali/D5550 Patented May 29, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

COMBINED BOTTLE CARRIER AND BACK Miner S. Anderson, Wabasha, Minn.

Application October 5, 1948, Serial No. 52,879

The present invention relates to a combined bottle carrier and rack, andmore particularly is directed to a carrier which will require lesshandling of the bottles between the bottling plant and the ultimateconsumer, and which is so constructed as to permit the easy and quickinsertion of the bottles into the carrier and their removal from thecarrier.

In recent years, it has been more or less universal practice to purchasebeverages such as soft drinks from a retailer in inexpensive cartonscontaining six bottles. While these cartons or carriers are generallyquite satisfactory and 9 Claims. (Cl. 224-48) are of a size permittingthe carton to be located entirely suitable for storage in the bottlingplant and for the transportation of the carton from the plant to theretail establishments.

Accordingly, a cardinal object of the present invention is to provide asturdy,. light weight carrier which will also serve as a rack, thebottle carrier being so fabricated that it may support the bottles ineither the vertical or horizontal positions. 7

Another object of the present invention is to provide a bottle carrierand rack assembly wherein one wall of the carrier is so constructed thatthe bottles may be readily removed therefrom for consumption.

A further object of this invention is to provide a bottle carrierwherein the carrier may be disposed within a home refrigerator with thebottles in the horizontal position whereby the bottles may be veryeasily removed from the carrier for drinking purposes.

And a still further object of my invention is to provide a bottlecarrier of the character described which is simple in structural detail,efiicient in operation, and which may be inexpensively manufactured.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention consists inthe details of construction, and in the arrangement and combination ofparts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings forming part of this application, wherein likecharacters denote corresponding parts in the several views, and inwhich:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective, partly broken away, of a combinedbottle carrier and rack constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a front end view of the carrier and rack shown in Figure 1,but being on a somewhat smaller scale.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 of Figure 1,looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a view in perspective of another form of bottle carrier andrack.

Figure 5 is an elevational view of the rack showing the position of thebottles when the rack is employed for storage purposes such as in thebottling plant.

Figure 6 is a front end view of the rack shown in Figure 4, but being ona somewhat smaller scale.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figure 1, there isshown a bottle carrier and rack including a bottom 10, spaced parallelside walls ll, rear wall l2, substantially open upper and front ends I3and I4, and a handle or grip member l5. The above mentioned side wallsare preferably stamped or pressed from a light weight metal or othersuitable material, but manifestly, other fabricating methods may beemployed.

The bottom III is provided with a plurality of apertures I6 for drainagepurposes and is formed with substantially low front and rear upstandingflanges I l and I8, respectively. The side walls II and the rear wall l2are preferably integral and bent to the configuration shown in Figure 1.The front edge of each side wall II is inturned, as shown at l9, andriveted or otherwise attached near the lower end to the flange IT, asindicated at 20. The rear wall 12 may be similarly attached to theupstanding flange [8 formed along the rear edge of the bottom l0. Hence,it will be noted that the side walls I l and the rear wall l2 are thusfastly and rigidly attached to the bottom l0.

A transverse plate 2| extends between the side walls H adjacent the rearwall l2 and may be attached to the respective walls by welding, brazingor the like. The handle I5 has one of its free ends riveted to the plate2| intermediate the ends thereof, as illustrated at 22, and the handleextends substantially horizontally, as shown at 23, from the plate 2! toa point in alinement with the front edges IQ of the walls, at whichpoint it extends vertically, as at 24, and is suitably affixed at itslower end to the flange H, as at 25.

Referring to Figure 2, it will be observed that the upper end of eachfront edge 19 of the side walls is downwardly inclined, as indicated at26, and that the vertical portion 24 of the handle is inclined, as at21, thereby providing a surface of greater width than the remainder ofthe handle. This particular arrangement, as will later be more fullydiscussed, will prevent the bottles from moving forwardly of thecarrier.

A spacer or divider 23 is located intermediate the side walls H, and thevertical edges of the divider may be secured to the rear wall l2 and thevertical portion 24 of the handle IS in any desirable manner. Also, theinner face of the rear wall i2 is provided with a plurality of spacedembossed cups 29 of a configuration to substantially conform to thebottom wall of a bottle. The flange IT is provided with an arcuaterecess 39 between each side wall and the vertical portion 24, eachrecess being adapted to receive the neck of the lowermost bottledisposed in the rack.

In filling the carrier at the bottling plant, the rack is placed withthe wall I2 resting on the supporting surface and the bottles areintroduced into the rack in the enlarged opening between the inclinedend 26 of the front edge E9 of the side wall and the handle l5 and isthen moved toward the bottom wall Ii) until the bottom of the bottleoverlies the embossed cup 29 on the wall l2. This procedure is repeateduntil the rack is completely filled with the bottles which, in thisinstance, is six, there being three on opposite sides of the divider 28.Hence, it can be seen that the bottles may be stored in they plant inthe vertical position and can be stacked, since the necks of the bottleswill extend into the embossed cups of the wall I2 of the rack disposedthereupon. The plate 2! will maintain the bottles within the rack whenthe rack is disposed on the wall [2, and the divider 28 will preventappreciable transverse displacement of the bottles. When the bottles arebeing transported from the plant to the retail establishment, they canbe maintained in the vertical position by carrying the rack by theportion 24 of the handle Hi.

The purchaser of the bottles may carry the rack with the bottles ineither the vertical or horizontal position although it is undoubtedlydesirable to carry them in the horizontal position by gripping theportion 23 of the handle. The rack may be disposed in the refrigeratorwith the bottles in the horizontal position as shown in Figure 3 andeach bottle may be easily withdrawn therefrom through the enlarged areabetween the side wall and the portion 24 of the grip l5.

Manifestly, by being able to remove the bottles horizontally, it isunnecessary to take the rack out of the refrigerator which is oftennecessary in those carriers wherein the bottles are disposed in thehorizontal position and the advantage thereof is believed to be readilyapparent.

In lieu of the embossed cups 29 on the rear wall l2, it is also possibleto use a plurality of prong-like projections for separating the bottleswhen the rack is resting on its rear wall l2.

In Figures 4 to 6, inclusive, there is shown a rack which is generallysimilar to that of Figure 1, with the exception that the body portion ofthe rack is wire rather than stamped or pressed metal, and the samereference characters will be applied to corresponding parts, with theexception that they will be primed. Referring to Figure 4, it will benoted that the bottom member comprises a substantially rectangular frameelement 40, and a plurality of laterally extending rods 4| are securedat their extremities to the frame by welding or the like. The side wallsof the rack include vertically extending rods 42 attached at their lowerends to the frame 40 and connected at their upper ends by asubstantially horizontally extending rod member '43.

The rear ends of the rod members 43 are connected by a laterallyextending rod 45, and a plurality of spaced rod elements 46 areconnected to the member 45 at the upper end and the frame 40 at thelower end. Vertically spaced embossed cups 4'! are welded to theelements 46 and a divider or partition 48 is attached at one end to oneof the elements 46 and at the opposite end to the vertical portion 24'of the handle [5.

The handle [5 comprises a horizontal portion 49 which is hinged to theplate 2|, as shown at 50. The outer end of the horizontal portion 49 isdownturned, as indicated at 5i and provided with an elongated slot 52near the free end thereof. The upper end of the vertical strap 24 isformed with a latch member 53 rotatably mounted thereon and the latch isadapted to extend through the elongated slot 52. Manifestly, by rotatingthe latch approximately at right angles to the slot, the horizontalportion 49 will be locked to the strap 24'. It is apparent that byproper manipulation of the latch, the portion 49 may be moved upwardlyabout its hinge 59 to permit easy access to the interior of the rack.

To insure that the bottles will not have any relative longitudinalmovement with respect to the front end, it will be noted that a rod-likemember 54 is attached at its upper end to the forward rod-like member 42and at its lower end to the frame 40 and extends laterally towards thevertical portion 24 to cooperate with this strap in restricting theforward movement of the bottles.

If desired, suitable identifying or advertising material may be pressedinto one of the side -walls [9 or end wall 12 of the carrier and rackshown in Figure 1, or a metal plate may be suitably attached to one 'ofthe walls of the rack shown in Figures 4 to 6.

The invention is not to be confined to any strict conformity with theshowing in the drawings but may be changed or modified so long as suchchanges or modifications mark no material departure from the salientfeatures of the inventionas expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a carrier and rack for bottles, a body including parallel sidewalls, a rear wall, a bottom wall and a front end of lesser height thanthe rear wall, a handle extending from the rear wall to the front end,raised portions in the rear wall, each of said raised portions beingadapted to receive the bottom of a bottle and means on said side Wallsto .pre'vent longitudinal displacement of the bottles.

2. A carrier and rack for bottles as claimed in claim 1 wherein apartition extends between the rear wall and the front end in parallelrelationship to the side walls.

3. In a carrier and rack for bottles, a body 'includingparallel sideWalls, a rear wall, a bot tom wall and a front end of considerably lessheight than the rear wall, a partition extending between the rear walland the front end, raised portions on said rear wall on both sides ofthe partition, each of said raised portions being adapted to receive thebottom of the bottle, handle means on said body whereby the carrier maybe transported and means on said side walls cooperating with said meansto prevent longitudinal displacement of the bottles.

4. In a carrier and rack for bottles, a body including parallel sidewalls, a rear wall, a bottom wall and a front end of considerably lessheight than the rear wall, embossed cup portions on said rear wall, eachcup portion being adapted to receive the bottom of the bottle, a plateextending between said side walls and the rear wall, a handle having oneend attached to said plate and the opposite end attached to the frontend and means on said side Walls cooperating with said handle to preventlongitudinal dis-placement of the bottles.

5. A carrier and rack for bottles as claimed in claim 4 wherein apartition extends between said rear end and said front wall.

6. A carrier and rack for bottles as claimed in claim 4 wherein saidlast named means includes an inturned portion on each of said sidewalls.

'7. In a carrier and rack for bottles, a body including parallel sidewalls, a rear wall, a bottom wall and a front end of less height thanthe rear wall, a partition extending between the rear Wall and front endin parallel relationship to the side walls, a plurality of spacedembossed cups on said rear walls on both sides of said partition, eachof said cups being adapted to receive the bottom of a bottle, a plateextending between said side walls adjacent the rear wall, a verticalstrap attached to the front end intermediate the ends thereof, and ahorizontally extending handle 6 portion secured at one end to the saidstrap and at the opposite end to the plate.

8. A carrier and rack as claimed in claim 7 wherein each of the sidewalls is provided with an inturned portion, said inturned portions c0-operating with the vertical strap to prevent longitudinal displacementof the bottles.

9. In a carrier and rack for bottles, a body including parallel sidewalls, a rear wall, a bottom wall and a front end of less height thanthe rear Wall, a partition extending between the rear Wall and the frontend in parallel relationship to the side walls, a plurality of spacedembossed cups on said rear wall on both sides of the partition, each ofsaid cups being adapted to receive the bottom of a bottle, a plateextending between the side walls adjacent the rear wall, a verticalstrap attached to the front end intermediate the ends thereof, ahorizontally extending handle portion pivoted to said strap, andcomplemental means carried by the free end of said handle portion andvertical strap to detachably connect the handle portion to the verticalstrap.

MINER S. ANDERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 628,778 Edwards July 11, 1899960,833 Crum June '7, 1910 1,939,504 Lee Dec. 12, 1933 2,329,656Sedgwick Sept. 14, 1943

